If you require an ambulance, call 111 immediately.

About Us

 

We're rethinking healthcare delivery so that you can access medical care conveniently whenever you need it.

And we're bringing the expertise of Emergency Medicine Specialists out from the bricks and mortar trappings of our hospitals to where they're most needed across the motu.

 

In a system that’s struggling with under-staffing and burnout it has become really important to us, to not only serve the general public but, create services that decompress the EDs in which we all work.”

Dr Martyn Harvey

We’re thrilled to help more people, in more ways, than we originally thought. Partnering with other providers allows us to assist our health colleagues directly. Our service is based on respect and caring for others – that’s why we’re in medicine after all!”

Ms Jenni Falconer

We keep the patient, and our values, at the core of what we do. Every consult is an opportunity to engage. We're proud to contribute clinical excellence and efficiency to our patients and partners.

Dr Giles Chanwai

We're frontline doctors and nurses

We work on the frontlines and have observed how, as the population has grown and aged, the number of patients presenting at emergency departments and after-hours clinics has exploded. We became increasingly concerned about what that means for our patients and colleagues.

So, we set about creating an innovative service that would take a little heat out of the traditional health system. We advocate for a hybrid model of care; healthcare that leverages tech to be more convenient for patients but also works for the health sector to prioritise vital in-person care.

 
 

Rapid Remote Care

This is where urgency meets expertise. You don’t have to worry about making the right decision in the heat of the moment; instead you have trusted advice, from respected senior doctors on-demand.

 

Qualified Clinicians

We’ve all worked extensively in hospital Emergency Departments. Our experienced triage nurses and emergency medicine doctors are proficient at using telehealth to enable you with an alternate route to care that doesn’t compromise on quality or pressurise the hospital system.

 

Continuous Improvement

We’re dedicated to becoming an integral part of New Zealand’s health ecosystem. So, we will keep pushing for innovation while attracting high calibre people. In 2023, we won the WBA Innovation Award - which is nice but we’re nowhere near done!

 
 
 
 

Our history

1990

Founders meet

Martyn and Giles work together in the hospital Emergency Department.

1995

Hospitals get busier

Emergency Departments and after-hours clinics nationwide get busier and wait times longer.

2005

Kiwis adopt mobile tech

By 2006 80% of us are carrying mobile phones. By 2009 there are more mobile connections than people in NZ.

2010

Wait times get worse

Demand on EDs continues to grow and hospital wait times get worse each year.

2015

Rise of iPhones

By 2015, Apple was selling over 200 million iPhone units yearly.

2019

Launch of Emergency Consult

Founders team up with the goal of creating a telehealth initiative that brings emergency medicine expertise out of the hospital setting. Early adopters of the service include general public and travel medicine.

2020

Global pandemic

In response to COVID-19 outbreaks, New Zealand is locked-down at various times through 2020-21. People turn to of virtual communication for school, work, social, and services. Emergency Consult supports COVID response with virtual RNs in the community and isolation facilities.

2021

Aged care workforce woes

Border restrictions create aged care nurse shortages. Emergency Consult pivots to support aged care facilities with virtual RNs.

2022

Expanding into all regions

Emergency Consult provides access to virtual FACEMs to various hospital EDs and rural health providers across the motu.



Supporting ambulances

Virtual FACEMs support Hato Hone St John in Auckland. 82% of the patients referred by St John are successfully seen and treated on-the-spot reducing hospital transfers.

2023

Extreme weather

Extreme weather events such as the Auckland Anniversary Weekend Flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle encourages partnerships with pharmacies to ensure doctor consults and prescriptions are available within communities.



Award wins

Emergency Consult, and CEO Jenni Falconer, win two Waikato Business Awards for Outstanding Innovation and Leadership.



Ka Ora Telecare launched

Emergency Consult and Practice Plus partner to deliver a new government-funded service enabling rural NZ to access healthcare remotely.

2024

EDs under significant pressure

Christchurch hospital ED reports seeing up to 430 people in a 24-hour period. Ramping (treating patients in ambulances) is commonplace.



Hybrid clinic opens in Pāpāmoa

The country's first "hybrid" accident and medical clinic, Consult365, is staffed by RNs, Nurse Practitioners, and Extended Care Paramedics - and supported through teleheath by Emergency Consult’s Emergency Medicine Specialists

 
Mobile solution for the digital age

Mobile solution for the digital age

Virtual communications are removing time and distance barriers. With over 95% of the population having internet access, and more than 92% carrying a smartphone, we figured we could turn the tables and bring specialist help out of the hospital or after-hours clinic and deliver it where and when you need it.

 
We're putting you first

We're putting you first

We're tech savvy but people-focused. We provide you with access to emergency advice and treatment in a way that is convenient, timely, and authentic. Our service marries the care and attention of an old fashion house-call but takes advantage of the immediacy and convenience of modern technology. We'll continue to adopt tech tools that make our service more robust and help us serve you, the patient, better.

 
 
 

Ehara tāku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini

Our strength is not as individuals but as a collective.

We’re working with numerous health services across the motu. You can video chat with our doctors direct, but you may also be referred to us or guided into an on-the-spot virtual consult from a clinic, ED, pharmacy, ambulance, or care facility near you.

 

Our Mission

 

Making healthcare easy for anyone, anytime, anywhere.

 

We’re on a mission to provide patient-focused medical care that is rapid, accessible and affordable.

Being “patient-focused” has led us to a telemedicine solution that brings emergency care to you; rather than you having to travel and wait to see an emergency doctor. It’s fast, easy and genuine.

We’re also working hard to assist emergency departments, rural health, ambulance services, pharmacies, and aged care providers. We have an extensive network of emergency medicine doctors and deploy our services where they're needed most.

We have recruited and retained many of the best emergency medicine specialists in the country. We're striving to be the employer of choice for physicians working remotely and premier provider of virtual emergency medicine.

 
 

The values that underpin our mahi

Drive | Wawata

Drive | Wawata

The pursuit of outstanding results and outcomes

 
Emotional strength | Manahau

Emotional strength | Manahau

A mindset that ensures adaptability and resilience

 
Health equity | Taurite mana hauora

Health equity | Taurite mana hauora

Minimising barriers to healthcare for those most in need

 
Team ability | Aheinga rōpū

Team ability | Aheinga rōpū

Fostering strong relationships in healthcare and beyond

 
Effective communication | Rongo

Effective communication | Rongo

Approaching interactions with the intention to deliver results

 
 
 

Proudly Kiwi Owned & Operated
New Zealanders caring for New Zealanders.